Re: Northern Michigan Alumni

Updated to reflect changes to Gussy and Olver. Both are with their respective AHL clubs now. Mark is still recovering (presumably, he has been removed from the Avalanche lineup and placed on their "In the System" roster).

“Demolish the bridges behind you… then there is no choice but to build again.”

Re: Northern Michigan Alumni

Gussy had 2 assists in his first game after being reassigned following wrist surgery. He'll probably see action tonight as his team plays in the AHL's outdoor classic in Philly. It's scheduled to be rebroadcast on the NHL Network tomorrow at 4:00.

Re: Northern Michigan Alumni

Re: Northern Michigan Alumni

Olver has a goal and an assist in his first NHL action this year. He was named 1st star of the game and the announcers on the Altitude network (the Avs home network) couldn't stop with the praise for Mark. He deserved all of it too as he looked really good on their No. 1 line.

Re: Northern Michigan Alumni

By the time Iiro Tarkki was born in southeastern Finland in the town of Rauma, ice hockey was already a big part of the landscape in the Tarkki household. His father Timo, had already begun coaching youth hockey, including his older brother Tuomas, who was a goaltender. Young Iiro was immediately introduced to the sport and became what he calls a “rink rat,” watching his brother take to the ice with his father behind the bench.

“Every time my brother had a game, with my father coaching, I would be there,” said Tarkki. “I’d walk around the rink searching for loose pucks.”

At the age of four, Iiro took to the ice, lacing up skates suited for a forward, not a goalie. But after one season playing up, Iiro elected to follow in his brother’s footsteps.

While his brother Tuomas was beginning to make a name for himself in the United States, ultimately becoming a Hobey Baker Award finalist in his senior year, Iiro was putting up modest numbers at the junior level. But Iiro continued to press to improve his game.

In 2006-07, Iiro turned pro, and Tuomas returned to Finland from North America after just one year of playing professional hockey, spent mostly with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL.

Upon his return to Finland, Tuomas signed with one of the top teams, Karpat, while Iiro began his career in the first division.

On Dec. 7, 2006, Iiro got the call from SaiPa to start his first SM-liiga game. Coincidentally, the game was against his brother Tuomas. It was quite the circumstance, and Iiro was up for the challenge.

Just as Tarkki was settling into playing door operator for the Ducks bench, Hiller suffered an injury with about a minute to play in the first period, paving the way for Tarkki’s National Hockey League debut.

“I was a little bit nervous, but I’m always nervous and excited going into a game,” said Tarkki. “It happened so fast that I don’t really remember what guys were saying to me except for maybe ‘good luck.’”

Tarkki ultimately picked up the victory, stopping seven of 10 shots in just over two periods of work.

“After the game I got a lot of phone calls and text messages,” said Tarkki. “My brother was one of them, sending me congratulations from Finland.”

While he may have followed in his brother’s footsteps for more than two decades, Iiro will always be able to lay claim over his brother, Tuomas, that he reached the pinnacle of the sport, playing in a National Hockey League game.

“Demolish the bridges behind you… then there is no choice but to build again.”

Re: Northern Michigan Alumni

For the past few weeks, Mike Santorelli has been sporting the light blue day after day. A breakout season in which he scored 20 goals in 82 games for the Panthers last year has bled into a disappointing one this time around.

Santorelli, who signed a two-year deal worth $3.2 million in July, has been a healthy scratch in nine consecutive games and in 12 of the past 13. He hasn’t played since March 21.

With the playoffs opening Friday against the Devils, Santorelli — as well as the likes of Krys Barch, Keaton Ellerby and others — have to keep their spirits up and their workouts long. Barch was practicing on the fourth line (and thereby wearing green) on Monday as Marco Sturm was out.

Re: Northern Michigan Alumni

Looks like Santorelli won't be getting much (if any) playing time this postseason.

Erik Gustafsson took a knee-to-knee hit and is day-to-day.

I'll update the list of players when I get a chance.

Thanks for the update. I figured it was lack of performance from Santorelli that was keeping him out of the lineup. I was thinking the Flyers were looking for size on the d-line heading into the playoffs when I noticed Gussy hadn't played in a couple weeks. He's actually been quite steady for them and his +/- is pretty good. Too bad about the knee.

Re: Northern Michigan Alumni

Originally Posted by NMUFAN

Thanks for the update. I figured it was lack of performance from Santorelli that was keeping him out of the lineup.

Yep. He'll string together some good games, but then he'll be scratched again. He benefited for the first 1/2 of the season due to injuries, but when the injuries kept piling up and Florida traded/called up extra forwards and when Santorelli's linemate Booth got traded to Vancouver, it really set Santos back. Then just before the All-Star break, he somehow got into Coach's doghouse and has remained pretty much since then.

He's not a fourth line center, he needs to be given more ice time. But, he can't earn better ice time it if he's not performing on that fourth line. It's the paradox that got him in trouble with Nashville. Which really sucks because he was able to do a lot last season with Booth on the top two lines.

Originally Posted by NMUFAN

I was thinking the Flyers were looking for size on the d-line heading into the playoffs when I noticed Gussy hadn't played in a couple weeks. He's actually been quite steady for them and his +/- is pretty good. Too bad about the knee.

Seems I was a bit wrong with my search on Twitter. Gussy is shown as being in Adirondack (AHL) and playing for them as they make a push for the playoffs.

The first page should be mostly current.

For the AHL, the Portland Pirates are holding onto 8th in the East with Nathan Oystrick and two games to go; Manchester Monarchs and Ray Kaunisto are 9th just two points behind with three games yet to play; Erik Gustafsson and the Adirondack Phantoms are in 10th place, just three points out of eighth; the Providence Bruins and Justin Florek are 11th, just six points out of 8th with three games to go.

One Wildcat will make the AHL playoffs (unless Syracuse and Tuomas' little brother Iiro Tarkki stumble). This weekend's going to be fun to watch the AHL.
Oh, and I'm mistaken.

“Demolish the bridges behind you… then there is no choice but to build again.”

Of the four other Flyers on the ice at that time: Coburn, Hartnell, Giroux, and Jagr, I wouldn't have expected Gustafsson to be the person to score. I don't want to call it a snipe, because it looks like he's trying to take a dump shot to allow the line-mates to pick up the rebound, but what a shot!

“Demolish the bridges behind you… then there is no choice but to build again.”